


Princess Protectorate

by Natasja



Series: Princess Pen-Pals [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula is seduced to the Light Side, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Katara is Team Mom, Muffinlance spinoff, Princess pen-pals, Protective Azula, Protective Zuko, Though they have reservations about one addition..., Zuko and Azula get family that doesn't suck, by the power of hugs and friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28228353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natasja/pseuds/Natasja
Summary: Come to the Light Side, we have Mom-hugs.Azula has finally met one half of her pen-pal family, which is worth putting up with Katara's sidekicks, if she absolutely has to.Shameless fluff, family bonding, and Ozai's impending doom abound.Part 2 of Princess Pen Pals
Relationships: Azula & Katara & Yue (Avatar), Azula & Katara (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Haru/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Princess Pen-Pals [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067831
Comments: 10
Kudos: 137





	1. New Family

**Author's Note:**

> Aelphaba can be partially blamed for this, thanks to cheering on my casual remark about what New Family life would be like.  
> Plot bunnies bit and wouldn't let go.

Azula knew, in theory, that spying was a bad habit to cultivate and to be caught was to risk severe punishment. Better to let loyal others take the risk. But there were no others that were both loyal and under her authority here, and what if Katara’s father were just being nice in public, like Father had been with Zuko?

Zuko clearly had the same idea, and they lurked in the shadows outside the Chief’s tent, casually eavesdropping on Katara (and Sokka)’s conversation with their father. “Katara, Sokka, I’m not saying that you were wrong to take them in, but they do have family of their own.”

Screw discretion, Azula was about to barge right in there and tell the Chief exactly how mistaken he was. Zuko grabbed her arm. “Let Katara handle it. She’s very persuasive.”

Indeed, Katara had settled into a stance that said she would not be budged. “Their mother disappeared when they were children, and their father is the kind of man who would have a fatal accident on the ice, and someone worth the name would adopt his kids. We’re just… mixing up the order a bit.”

Hakoda outline looked as though he wanted to bury his head in his hands, but was too conscious of appearances. “You’ve passed the rites of adulthood, and faced more than may adults have, so I suppose I can’t technically stop you. Just remember that it’s ok to struggle sometimes, and you have an entire tribe behind you for support and advice.”

Katara’s shadow beamed and threw her arms around him. “Thanks, Dad.”

There wasn’t enough time to escape before the Southern Royal Family left the tent to rejoin the rest of the Water Tribe for dinner. Luckily, Azula had come prepared with an excuse, and it was even true. “We’re working on plans of what to do next, and could use your input.” 

Katara smiled at them, not fooled for a moment, and started guiding them toward the central cooking fire. Azula started mentally composing a letter to Yue; she needed to know the appropriate responses to leaders who were also family members and who actually wanted to interact, rather than expect her to sit quietly and look intimidating.

* * *

The fire was lit, but nothing was on it, or even prepared to the point where they could start cooking and waiting off to the side. Katara took one look at it and scowled. “Were you really expecting food to just magically appear because I existed in your general vicinity?”

Oh, that was a lovely helping of sarcasm in Katara’s voice; Azula would have to practice it later. She hadn’t addressed anyone specifically, but some of the younger tribesmen shifted guiltily. “We… hoped you’d have better recollection of recipes from home?”

It would have been a decent excuse, if they hadn’t turned it into an almost-question. Katara folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Made with what, exactly?”

The tribesmen clearly hadn’t thought of that. “Er…”

She let them squirm a little longer, then undid her braid, twisting her hair up into a more mature style. “Right, Zuko, Azula, come with me. Leave the armour behind.”

Katara hadn’t steered them wrong yet, but Azula wasn’t in the habit of going into a situation unprepared. She whistled, summoning the eel-hound she’d brought in case they needed a quick getaway. “Where are we going?”

The Water Tribe girl smiled, a calculating glint in her eye. “I’m about to show you the fine art of improvising around other people’s lack of planning. When that’s successful, you get to learn basic life skills to outclass a bunch of grown men.”

Behind them, Sokka groaned. “This is going to be the laundry incident all over again, isn’t it?”

Katara lifted the Fire siblings into the saddle, then swung herself up on the eel-hound behind them. “You’re learning.”

* * *

The nearest non-port town was a colony that had been settled nearly a century ago, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom and the rare Water Tribe having settled into a mostly-peaceful state of co-existance. Enough, at least, that their wildly contrasting appearences went un-remarked upon.

That wasn’t the only strange thing. Azula was used to projecting confidence and authority to get people to take her ten-year-old self seriously. Looking young and vulnerable felt wrong, somehow, but after witnessing the citizen’s reaction to Zuko’s indignation in the face of sympathy, she could see the value in it.

Shopkeepers and merchants who had been on the verge of closing for the night didn’t even question staying open, when faced with the pretty young refugee woman. Certainly not when they saw her two siblings or children, dressed in clothing that was clearly cast-off and in need of mending (an outgrown dress of Katara’s and a torn tunic that Sokka had failed to mend). A motherly Earth Kingdom woman gave them fresh vegetables at what had to be a severe discount, and slipped in a sweet bun each with a gentle smile. The butcher barely haggled at all over a haunch of bison-deer meat. “Enough for tonight, and a week if you smoke the rest.”

Katara had beamed at him, and assured him that she was very familiar with the process of making jerky before he could finish offering to show her. Azula had no idea why the man would look so disappointed. It wasn’t as though the ability to dry meat with firebending was _hard_.

On the way back out of town, a vendor’s assistant approached them, holding two small bags, one of plum candy and the other of fireflakes! “Here, it helps to have something familiar away from home.”

Katara smiled at him, “Thank you, I - Haru! What are you doing here?”

The young man blinked, looking closer. “Katara? I can’t believe I didn’t recognise you. Are the others all right?”

Katara’s smile was a lot more genuine. “They’re fine, but it’s a long story. If you join us, I’ll explain the rest, and you can tell me yours.”

The Earth-bender - Haru, Katara had called him - was tall, his face rather like Mother’s in it’s warm softness, but resolute like Chief Hakoda’s. Through some bending trick, he kept pace with the eel-hound all the way back to the camp. Azula took the time to study the technique. She wouldn’t be able to mimic it exactly, but perhaps her fire could be used as propulsion in a similar fashion…

* * *

Haru and Katara’s brother greeted each other in a friendly manner, though the Avatar looked resigned and sulky. Several Tribesmen were hanging out batches of laundry, as Sokka gestured to emphasise whatever he was telling them. Someone had the common sense to get a pot of rice on the fire in their absence, and Katara located a small wok from somewhere. “Right, cooking lesson one…”

Azula was very un-used to making her own food, but it was a useful skill if she ever had to go undercover, or run away. It felt nice, working quietly together, especially when Katara started to hum. “What’s that tune?”

Haru crouched down beside them, unwrapping the meat. (Sokka thumped his head against a tree, for some reason) “It sounds like Stone Soup.”

Katara nodded, “We call it Ice Soup, but yes. You can adapt the words to your situation, but the chorus is the same. ‘The ice melts in the wok and the waters rise to boil, the work is always lighter when there’s many hands to toil’.”

Singing or music lessons hadn’t featured too heavily in Azula’s life after Mother left. Or at all, really. It felt nice; learning a new skill taught by gentle hands and soft words rather than harsh shouting and punishment.

Haru was nice, too, and only blinked once when Katara pulled out an extremely gaudy dagger to de-bone their bison-deer haunch. “That’s an… impressive dagger.”

Katara smiled, smug and… something else, a bit like the way Ty Lee looked at boys. “The pirate I took it off certainly thought so.”

There had been pirates? Azula wanted to know the details, immediately! Well, maybe after dinner. She’d worked hard on it, after all, and acknowledging the appreciation was only proper.


	2. Hakoda's Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Water is the element of change, though Hakoda might prefer a little less change, at least all at once...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my twin, Sally, who died on Boxing Day, 2005

The Fire Princess had accepted the Tribe’s thanks for dinner, (technically aimed at Katara) with a baffling combination of the pleasure common to any child trusted with making a communal dinner, and entitlement, as though nothing she had a hand in could be less than perfect. The Fire Prince seemed genuinely surprised, as though praise was a rare thing for him to receive. Hakoda was starting to see what his children meant about Ozai needing a quick shove off an ice-cliff.

They seemed to be settling in well, though, steaming the laundry dry and hesitantly talking to the other tribesmen, mostly about Katara’s newly-discovered sneaky streak. Zuko viewed it a trait to admire from a distance, Azula as something to emulate. Hakoda was happy in his role of grandparent, where he could offer advice and cheerfully leave the children’s parents to navigate the fallout.

Besides, he hadn’t seen Katara or Sokka in years, and they had a lot to catch up on.

* * *

Sokka had grown so much, but had kept his tendency to over-react to the little things. Particularly regarding his baby sister. Hakoda tried not to smile as his son waved his hands. trying to keep his voice low. “No, you don’t understand; Haru actually stands a chance!”

Hakoda narrowed his eyes to where the Earthbender was creating an igloo of rock and compacted dirt to Katara’s specifications, laughing at something she said. Perhaps Sokka was onto something. The young Fire Princess was watching them out of the corner of her eye, too, though more in confusion than suspicion. “I see.”

Bato grinned, and Hakoda resisted the urge to kick his friend, who didn’t have daughters and therefore wasn’t entitled to an opinion. “Why does Haru stand a chance, instead of someone from the Water Tribes?”

Sokka flailed again. “He isn’t terrified of her or a jerk like the Northern boys, and the only ones left at home are kids. Haru is roughly her age, objectively good looking, and didn’t need to be frozen to a wall to respect her!”

That… wasn’t saying much about their Northern cousins. Not that Hakoda had a high opinion of them in the first place, but he had to wonder how Sokka’s descriptions fit into the somewhat progressive society they had encountered during their brief stay. He looked at Katara again, his daughter who was now a Waterbending Master and had been corresponding with the Northern Princess to corrupt the Fire Princess to a less-genocidal view of the world. He looked at Sokka, now a warrior in his own right, if perhaps less battle-tested than his own men, with a degree of cunning hidden behind the bad jokes and insecurity.

Perhaps not such a mystery, after all.

For a moment, Hakoda briefly entertained the idea of introducing Katara to some of his younger warriors from other villages, the ones who hadn’t known her as a child. He dismissed it just as quickly; the Southern tribe didn’t practice arranged marriages, after all, and it was too early to know if anything would even come of it. Anyone who was interested in Katara would have to get past the Fire Children first, anyway.

* * *

Speaking of Hakoda’s newly adopted grandchildren... if the way they interacted with his actual children were any indication, Sokka and Katara were destined for a life that would not be limited to the icy poles and the Water Tribes. If his daughter had to split her time between home and lands abroad, better that she do so with someone who wouldn’t try to tie her down. Hakoda would just have to talk to Haru before they parted ways, man to man.

Perhaps he should talk with the Avatar, who was sulking in the familiar manner of young men whose crush was paying attention to someone else, too.

Avatar Aang seemed like a nice young man, his near-worship of Katara painfully obvious… but Hakoda knew from experience that such unequal affection was not a good basis for a lasting love. Besides, if Aang wanted to re-build the Air Nomads, he couldn’t do it with a single woman, especially not a powerful Waterbender. Hakoda knew little of the Air Nomads, mostly stories passed down from Elders who had given shelter to those who had been away from the Air Temples during the initial assaults, but he knew enough to know that the conflicting cultural norms would cause problems down the line.

Better still, Haru was headed toward him while Katara fetched bedrolls from the Avatar’s flying bison. The young man didn’t bow, but he did incline his head respectfully. That was fair; he’d already been partially integrated by sharing food and fire with the Tribe. “I wondered if you’d like me to make another earth igloo for your men, Chief Hakoda?”

It wasn’t the blatant attempt to get on his good side that other young men might have tried, but Hakoda chose to take the offer in the spirit it was presented. “That would be nice, thank you. Better than setting up tents in the dark.”

No few of his men had been casting longing looks at the familiar shape of the igloo, and if Haru hadn’t offered, he would have been fielding requests. Katara was already corralling the pre-teens, and the way Aang reacted to her maternal-like orders was another mark against their potential relationship. Even if he did head for the bison, Appa, rather than the igloo.

Zuko murmured something to his sister, then ran for the igloo’s entrance, turning his dash into a slide that carried him through to the interior, rather than the crawl that most would use. Azula grinned and followed, and any objections Hakoda might have had faded at the fond look on Katara’s face as she followed them, the soft strains of a lullaby echoing out shortly after.

Family was family, after all, and his children had chosen theirs.

He would still make sure that Haru joined them in the Men’s igloo, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant to be another Azula chapter, but Hakoda had a few things to say.  
> Not to worry, our favourite fire princess will be back to plotting the acquisition of a Water Tribe Advisor soon enough...

**Author's Note:**

> Sokka can just HEAR Katara's newest argument: "Haru and Zuko can cook, why can't you?"
> 
> 'Stone Soup', for anyone interested, is from the Album 'Call the Names', by Heather Dale. I lightly adapted the chorus to fit the fit.


End file.
